Food Preparation Workers

Food Preparation Workers professionals earn a national median of $35,320 per year according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data, positioned in the Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations occupational family under SOC code 35-2021. Approximately 893,600 Americans are currently employed in this role nationwide. The full percentile range stretches from $25,810 at the 10th percentile to $45,340 at the 90th, a spread that reflects differences in experience, specialization, employer type, and geographic market.

BLS Employment Projections expect the occupation to change by -3% between 2023 and 2033 - a projected decline relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. That translates to roughly 148,000 annual openings from new positions, retirements, and turnover combined. Typical entry-level preparation is No formal educational credential. The occupation carries a WageDex workplace-safety grade of A, derived from BLS CFOI fatality rates and SOII injury rates.

Geographic wage variation is substantial: Washington currently leads all states at $40,910 for this occupation, while lower-cost regions pay correspondingly less. These gaps typically reflect cost-of-living differences, industry concentration (for example, finance hubs or tech clusters), and the relative supply of qualified workers in each labor market. Before treating this median as a personal benchmark, compare it against percentile position in your own metro, factor in employer-provided benefits that BLS wage surveys exclude, and remember that career-card data captures the occupation as it existed on the May 2025 reference date, not where it will be when you negotiate your next offer.